MIM MLA Intervenes While GHMC Officials Fell Wall In Banjara Hills

The residents of a colony in Banjara Hills Road No 3 are crying foul as GHMC is trying to takeover a road which was constructed on their private land. But the owner of the plot has different story.

Hyderabad: The incident that is taking place in Banjara Hills Road No 3 is a caution to people who take permission for group housing in the city. The GHMC officials are issuing orders that people who constructed the houses under group housing cannot renovate their homes and are warning that their group housing permission will be cancelled even if they try to change the walls of their homes.

The municipal officials are trying to take over the colony road in Banjara Hills Road No 3, claiming it to be government road. In this context, the GHMC issued notices to the members of the colony that they would demolish the colony wall and change the road into the public road and started making arrangements on a war footing.

History:

C Girija Reddy of Dexo Pharma Private Limited and four others bought 6,500 to 7,000 feet land in Banjara Hills Road No 3 in 1985-86 after forming as a group. They have constructed houses under group housing. To keep the colony peaceful they have left 30 feet for the sake of road in their land and constructed five independent houses. They have arranged for a security guard also for the colony.

Though they have not faced any problems till 2012, some employees from GHMC came to measure the colony road in the same year. Suspecting that it might be something foul, the colony residents wrote a letter to GHMC that the road is not a government road and that they have turned their land into the road. Though GHMC did not respond, they thought they had put their case forward.

The owner of the plot that is opposite to their colony road obtained permissions with the help of GHMC Commissioner by showing our road as government road, alleged the residents of the colony. They also said that there is a government road from Road No 14 for the plot, we only come to know later that the road in our colony was measured to grant permission to him, they added.

The GHMC which did not respond to their letter in 2012, glued notices to colony gates in last May that they have occupied the government road. The GHMC staff was there by morning to demolish the walls. However, as the colony residents resisted their attempts, they returned. After some time, notices were issued that the houses in the colony were not under group housing. They have also mentioned in the notice that they would take possession of the road by demolishing the gate and wall in 24 hours. If the GHMC wants to issue notices, they can issue them about internal walls and not for taking over the colony road, is the argument of colony residents.

True, that the internal walls must be removed if the construction is under group housing. But, all the villa projects in the city have internal walls. Did the government take into possession the roads in such areas? Is the question being posed by the residents.

However, Potluri Vara Prasad (PVP), the owner of the plot says he has pucca documents. MIM MLA of Caravan Kausar reprimanded the officials bulldozing his way. The police were deployed. Prasad said he has purchased every inch of the land and the GHMC has to give him access to the main road. If the colony residents have any problem they can go to court. He reiterated that the land belongs to the government the argument of the colony residence is not based on facts.